Home learning at the end of term or face isolating over Christmas

[urbanmist]

Schools are clearly driving the pandemic. Unless schools switch to home learning for the last week of term, many families will have all hope of ‘saving Christmas’ ruined. Children sent home to isolate in the last week will have to isolate on Christmas Day. Being in school is clearly the best for them, but at the expense of a ‘normal’ Christmas (if the rumours of a few day let up are true)?

Please think about taking three weeks. If your child brings it home asymptomatically and gives it to you, you yourself won’t have done 14 days isolation. Only your child will have done. More children, even more complicated as they could bounce it around.

No child will get behind missing the last week before Christmas 😂

I like the idea of taking them out early so they are safe to see family members BUT only if that's what's best for the child. Some need to be in school.

It would be nice to have the option to take them out if you can show you are prepared to educate from home. My son is happier at home than at school and I'm a teacher so I'm more than capable of prepping and delivering from home.

Having the extra time off wouldn't harm his education in any way so why not?

Unless they are catching up @Smellbellina. By the beginning of December my eldest will have had six weeks in school since they closed. A single week before Christmas is 15% of her total time in school since March.

I'll be taking my son out from the 11th. We won't be mixing with anyone for 2 weeks and then we'll have a nice Christmas week with Granny. No-one will be put at risk.

We can do it, so as long as it's not made illegal, we will do it.

I'm not advocating early school closure as there's so many who think it'll adversely affect their kids educationally and mentally - it's not an issue for my boy luckily.

Qasd

But they didn’t introduce ofsted to inspect homes learning right?

Do you really want OFSTED in your home?

Schools are currently having HMI visits regarding COVID recovery, safeguarding, catch up and remote learning.

@Hercwasonaroll shutting schools leaves thousands of children who are not in ideal situations left vulnerable, children are catching up from months of an education gap some who are struggling, we are told time and time again on holiday threads the impact one week off school has, shutting school for a week for millions of children for a "special memory" is not justifiable I'm sorry.

I sympathise to a degree because my father in law has COPD, he is only in his 60s but very unwell we have no doubt this virus would knock him dead, we have not seen him since January, we have no intentions of seeing him until he is vaccinated (my husband will be abroad for 4 months if anything happens in the meantime), it is not safe, it has not occurred to me how Christmas comes into play in this because it is the least of my worries. I don't understand how it is in anyone's worries.

Shall we just close hospitals too so that NHS staff can self isolate and safely see their families who they may not have seen for many months?

No! Thought not. They’re important.

So are schools.

Kids having a face to face education with their teachers should not be optional for one day of a Christian celebration.

@RaggieDolls what exactly do you think we do in the last week before Christmas?
We will mostly be partying 🥳

@Smellbellina would you laugh in the face of a child who lives with abusive carers and is scare to be home? Would that be so emoji worthy? Shutting schools has a huge impact on some children, if it has to be done it has to be for a GOOD reason.

I don't understand how it is in anyone's worries

Then you're clearly obtuse or not a very sympathetic person.

Kids being isolated for 2 weeks on an adhoc basis leaves all the problems you have listed, yet no one seems to give a shit about them then.

They will still have a Christmas if they are isolating or not. The only people who should be concerned about saving Christmas are those that face the prospect of being fully alone and isolated and those people are already allowed to "bubble".
Devout Christians are not concerned about "saving Christmas" what is the hype that's being thrown at us by media.
Yes it would be lovely to spend time with other people at a time that is special to lots of people for what ever reason, religion or otherwise but not a reason to not be at school.
Earlier this year there was outrage that schools might not be open in September but now when it suits we need to shut them down?

@EatDessertFirst

No, schools should not shut early. 'Saving Christmas' is over dramatic and frankly, silly. We need to stick to guidelines however ridiculous in order to stop it spreading. Vaccinations will be avaliable soon. Our DCs education has suffered enough.

Parents can take their DC out if they choose to, they will have to decide if the fines are worth it I guess or deregister and homeschool as is their right. Those few parents baying for national early closure are probably those with a cushy WFH job or a SAHP. I am neither. I cannot work with schools close and no work = no pay and I know I'm not the only one. 'School isn't childcare' doesn't wash either, ask Universal Credit.

I am sorry for those with poorly/vunerable relatives but we have to see the bigger picture.

What about we try and support you with safer schools and those with vulnerable relatives / vulnerabilities. It doesn’t have to be an either / or.

I agree re saving Christmas, we are a multi cultural society but haven’t tried to save any other religious festivals. I’m embarrassed that the country is now making a fuss of Christmas without ever having paid similar attention to different cultures and their celebrations.

However, people will celebrate so it’s better if this is managed and planned for. The chaos if it isn’t managed will be worse than a planned break.

@Hercwasonaroll no I just think people need to get their priorities straight, I've literally just told you I am in a similar position to what you are asking sympathy for but I am more worried about these people living to get the vaccine than I am for a festival.

@Hercwasonaroll online education only works for children whose parents have the time and capacity to support them with their education. I, as a single parent who can't work from home so would have to scrape around for childcare if schools shut early, will not be present or have the time to ensure he gets the work done.

We are all going to want what is best for our own situations. But don't accuse others of having an "alright Jack" attitude when yours is exactly the same. That's human nature.

I dont care for Christmas but I do care for my colleagues health and that of mine/their families.

Our school has been running a year group light for weeks as we dont have enough staff. I'm currently off with covid as are several of my friends in the school and lots of others are having to isolate on/off.

However, we're not allowed to have a year group rota planned, it just constantly happens due to safety of staff numbers.

That means kids and staff are in and out all over the place that trying to keep track who's learnt what is impossible, particularly our year 11s who seem harder hit with the virus themselves. Many are now panicking about its affects on their health and their own families.

I dont want schools closed, but a sensible approach to rotas and blender learning would seem much better for students' education than this, at least in our area.

Maybe other areas are more lucky...

I'm sure plenty of mumsnetters will be prepared to sacrifice Christmas day with the in laws for the greater good

If echos are closed a week early it won't be for special memories at Christmas.

It will be because it is clear that schools are a significant source of community infection and whether they allow it or not people will socialise over the holidays regardless and the spike this will cause could be much bigger than the 30k cases recently, threatening hospital capacity again.

The effect of the lockdown should be clear from case numbers in the next couple of weeks so will have to wait and see.

online education only works for children whose parents have the time and capacity to support them with their education

I fucking know this. I deal with it all the time.

Fgs none of you have any idea what it is really like in school, how stressed staff are and the constant crap we get on here.

Fuck off to your perfect lives where you can treat people like crap, force them to spend days in an unsafe environment which means they won't see family over Christmas while plenty of others get that chance. Even NHS staff can book fucking holiday.

@Smellbellina, I'm surprised you think that's appropriate this year but you are entitled to exercise your own professional judgement.

My children's teachers are doing their best to close the gaps left by suspension of the curriculum and subsequent isolation periods. I imagine there will be some fun in the last week but I would expect there to be continued learning as there has been in the last week before Christmas every other year they have been in school.

“Hallelujah - that's what education staff have been saying since September - part time attendance to make schools safer.....”

I think null referred to my post. I was saying I was hopeful of a nice small class if parents chose to pull out. But not for covid reasons, I just suspect child would enjoy a small class and some extra attention for a bit.

I’m all in favour of parents being allowed to take their children out during this pandemic whenever they want so long as they don’t expect the teacher to do too much to facilitate it. But I’m absolutely not pushing for compulsory part time education to make schools “safer”, at least not at primary level and certainly not from September- school has not had a confirmed case yet!

@notheragain41 what on earth are you talking about you complete numpty.

Honestly the level of comprehension on here is shocking.

@Hercwasonaroll

Yes I have but as I said it cannot be down to parents anyway! It’s a strange system to suggest we should only provide education in schools where parents complain enough! Anyway ours have like most said that live teaching cannot work, not fully explained why..and then my friends in New York have found out today there child (same age as mine) will be “back to online lessons” do they not have the same issues there? Sorry but it will feel to me we can do more here (and she Teachers come on in defence that they are doing it it only serves to show me it’s possible!)

@RaggieDolls well as a parent I am sure you do know better

@Hercwasonaroll pretty sure all teachers will be at home Christmas Day? My husband will be serving abroad, my kids won't see their dad, my support bubble mother will be working for the police so we will be on our own and I imagine many, many NHS staff will be working that day too. I'm sorry your job is so stressful at the moment, if it's about feeling safe that is a whole other matter and I sympathise and would have a different response, but this is about schools shutting for CHRISTMAS, you are an essential service doing an essential job, but you will get Christmas off. I sincerely, truly hope your grandparents stay safe, that this year is a distant bad memory and that next year are all together, but you're being selfish in suggesting schools should shut because it's been stressful and you want to self isolate to see grandparents.